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Update: Progress! Common Council Meeting Tonight - 1/10

Update: Progress! Common Council Meeting Tonight - 1/10

Thank you to to those who signed the Kingston Free Parking Petition!

The next important step: Calling the Aldermen on Kingston’s Common Council and letting them know how you want them to vote tonight, Tuesday, January 10th, on the matter. There’s a list of Aldermen and their numbers below. But first, an update on the situation:

In a very short time, we have gathered more than 800 signatures. We told Mayor Steve Noble about them at a meetup we held Sunday night, January 8th, at KOVO Rotisserie in Uptown.

If you’re interested in hearing an audio recording of the meeting, you can listen here:

Since then, the Mayor has proposed an amendment to his plan. It would allow “frequent users, who are often residents or employees of local businesses, to apply for a permit in early spring 2017, immediately prior to when kiosks are installed in the municipal lots. The annual permit will be sold for a modest $10, which will cover the service charges required to prepare the permit.” (more on this at the Daily Freeman) We consider this a win for our effort, as it does address one of our major issues which is continuing to provide affordable parking for those who live and work in the business districts of Kingston. However it does not address all of our concerns.

Thus, we are encouraged by this concession, but still want to keep the municipal lots free. We believe that at the very least, more time is needed for the Mayor and the Common Council to meet with stakeholders to entertain a variety of opinions and creative solutions.

We think that you should use this critical opportunity to tell your Aldermen and Mayor how you feel, both about the amendment to provide free parking passes being considered tomorrow, and generally about having metered parking in the lots for visitors who do not hold a parking pass.

If you agree and would like to help, please:

Share the petition far and wide, via email and social media. We want to get many more signatures a.s.a.p., in time for the Common Council Meeting on this Tuesday, January 10, when the members will vote on adopting the changes to the parking permits and bonding new parking meters for the municipal lots that have historically been free.

Attend the Common Council Meeting at Kingston City Hall (at 420 Broadway, across from Kingston High School) on Tuesday, January 10th. Here’s the FaceBook invitation to the event. At 7pm Mayor Steve Noble gives his State of the City Address. At 7:30, the Common Council Meets to bond the parking meters. They’ll also vote on whether to make Kingston a sanctuary city, another important issue.

Call your Aldermen and tell them how you feel.If you support the amendment providing free parking passes to frequent users of the lots let them know. If you go with us further and support a moratorium on implementing this plan or a more phased approach - ask them not to bond the meters for the lots at all. Most of all, let them know who you are and how you feel. Here’s a list: